VK1/AC-043 Mount Stromlo – Saturday 30 January 2021

After a wet leadup, the forecast for Saturday was “Mostly sunny – with some showers..” I awoke to the sound of rain….it did not look good for SOTA! The local radio station however was insisting that it would be mostly fine.. I knew that a group of our ZL friends were planning their “Banks Peninsula activity day” – commencing at 2300Z…. So, after a 30 minute drive ( including a drive-through at Maccas for coffee), as well as slowly following a pack of very keen ( mad ) cyclists winding their way up to the summit – with hoards of much faster cyclists hurtling DOWN the hill, at times 2 abreast in the middle of the road…….. overtaking was simply not an option – besides, what was the rush, it was raining!!! I sat in my car with the car park all to myself with steady rain falling….. ‘Give it time”….. I elected to setup ( if the rain cleared) across from the Stromlo Cafe… ( even though, sadly, it remains closed due COVID-19….) . I considered the northern knoll, but as the ground was wet, the advantage of my preferred position, as you can see from this photo, was the ability to quickly get radios ( and self) under cover! ( See the other summit access reports for details on the North Knoll operating position…)

Well, it was never in doubt….. right on cue, at about 2245z the rain eased, then stopped – so I set up my FT-817ND as my 2m FM radio, and my KX-2 for HF. I elected to use my HyEnd 10m ,15m, 20m and 40m EFHW. I note that the HyEnd company in The Netherlands have ceased production of these and other portable antennas – so I am glad to have this one which does not require a tuner on any of these bands. My home brew EFHWs all require the KX-2’s built in antenna tuner on at least one band. For FM Simplex, the trusty FT-817 had the very popular and efficient 2m “oblong” that Andrew VK1AD was promoting last year….. So easy to make, so portable and light – simplicity plus – that works so well.

As I knew I was the only VK with an Alert posted, my chances of getting much action on 2m were pretty slim, and besides, I was there to get some Trans-Tasman S2S.

Thanks Matt VK1MA who, unsurprisingly, immediately replied to my initial 2m CQ…. then – crickets…. no dramas..

I then had 30 minutes of 20m CW fun as per the log extract below.

My thanks to the ZL3 SOTA community for the opportunity to chase from VK…. Had you guys not been active I most likely would have stayed home, as, thanks to the weather, SOTA activity in VK was somewhat lacking.. But that’s life – and it goes on! An easy, fun activation – as it should be.

Bill

VK1MCW